Kunming, as the provincial seat, is the political, economic, cultural, S&T and transport center of Yunnan province. Cigarette, machinery and electronics, bio-resources, information and commercial and trade tourism are the five pillar industries of Kunming. Its industry is shaped into a system with machinery, metallurgy and cigarette processing as the mainstays. With commerce and trade, tourism, information and modern service industries developing fast, Kunming is an industrial base of Yunnan province and an important industrial city in the southwest. In 2008, Kunming’s GDP totaled RMB 160.539 billion, with a per capita GDP of RMB 26,532 against the permanent-resident population of 6.19 million.

Well-known as the Spring City domestically and around the world, Kunming is an international tourism city. It is located uniquely at the convergent point of 9+2 Pan Pearl River Delta Economic Cooperation rim, China-ASEAN Free Trade Area rim and the Greater Mekong Sub-region Economic Cooperation Zone. As the state grade I port city for China to interface with the Southeast Asia, Kunming is one of the important transport hubs in west China.. With the opening of Kunming-Bangkok International Highway, the planning and construction of the Pan-Asian Railway, as well as the Kunming International Airport and other major infrastructures under construction, Kunming’s function as China’s bridgehead in opening to Southeast Asia and South Asia is becoming more and more outstanding.